Wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified after the official weigh-in on Wednesday morning, ahead of her scheduled gold medal bout in the evening. While she had cleared the weigh-in on Tuesday, Vinesh was found to be “a few grams over 50 kg” on Wednesday morning’s weigh-in. The Indian Express reported that she was reportedly 2 kilos overweight on Tuesday night — weight she tried her best to shed overnight but couldn’t. Vinesh’s tragic situation highlights a larger issue afflicting combat sports — the practice of weight cutting. In recent years, many have even called for a ban on athletes drastically cutting (and then gaining) weight ahead of their fights. Here is why. First, why does one’s weight matter in wrestling (and other combat sports)? Combat sports — wrestling, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), etc. — are organised according to weight classes. This is to facilitate fair and competitive matches. Fighters of similar weight (and thus, size) are more likely to have similar physical attributes, making for a more even playing field. Without weight classes, larger and bulkier athletes would have a natural advantage over smaller ones, even if they are not as technically gifted. What are weigh-ins? Athletes in a particular weight class (say 50 kg) have to weigh equal to, or less than, the stipulated weight. However, one’s weight is never static. It constantly fluctuates within a certain range depending on a number of factors, from how much you eat and drink, to how much you sweat, and other bodily functions. Moreover, it is impractical to constantly monitor an athlete’s weight throughout a competition. Thus, combat sports use a system of weigh-ins. There are designated times before (and in some competitions, after) when an athlete has to be weighed, and meet the requirements of their weight class. According to United World Wrestling’s (UWW) Olympics weigh-in rules, wrestlers are weighed on the morning of their competition, while wearing their singlet. Since the Olympics competition goes on for two days, there are two weigh-ins — there is a 30 minute period on Day 1, and a 15 minute period on Day 2. Other sports or competitions may have different rules regarding weigh-ins. In fact, weigh-ins are a key part of the spectacle ahead of a fight in professional combat sports such as pro boxing or MMA, with thousands of viewers tuning in to see athletes strip down, get weighed, talk some smack, and perhaps even engage in a simulated stand-off with their opponent. What is weight cutting? Why do combat athletes cut weight? In simple words, weight cutting involves athletes drastically reducing their weight in a short period of time. This is done by athletes to make the stipulated weight in time for weigh-ins. Many, if not most, combat sports athletes believe that cutting weight before a bout can provide them with an edge over their opponent in the ring, mainly by quickly rebounding in weight and thus weighing more than what their weight class stipulates. This is because weight cuts primarily involve ridding the body of any accumulated water — this is the “easiest” weight to shed. Athletes do not drink water, carry out intense exercise, use saunas, wear heavy clothing, etc. to lose this water weight through sweat. They also do not eat anything ahead of weigh-ins. But this weight can then be quickly gained after the weigh-in through the intake of lots of fluids and carb heavy meals. This, athletes feel, can give them a weight advantage in the actual bout which generally takes place hours (sometimes even a day) after a weigh-in. Notably, the scientific evidence supporting this theory thus far has been inconclusive. What are some potential harms of weight cutting? There are limits to how much weight can be cut in a certain period of time without engangering the athlete’s physical (and mental) well being. In the highest levels of sport, where a lot (including handsome monetary rewards) rides on an athlete’s performance, there is an incentive to push the limits of what is safe — sometimes with dangerous, even deadly, consequences. In 2018, UFC fighter Uriah Hall suffered “mini-seizure” and a “slight heart attack” during weight cutting, according to an official press release by UFC. And this was a lucky escape. In 2015, Chinese MMA fighter Yang Jian Bing, who competed in the ONE Championship, died due to dehydration while cutting weight. “Severe (or even moderate) dehydration used for weight loss in weight restricted sports increases the risk of acute cardiovascular problems… alters the brain morphology and potentially increase the risk of brain injury… increases risk of heat illness such as heat stroke… [and potentially lead to] hormonal imbalances, changes to insulin sensitivity, bone loss and suppressed immune function,” researchers O R Barley, D W. Chapman, and Chris Abbiss wrote in ‘The Current State of Weight-Cutting in Combat Sports’, published in journal Sports (Basel) in 2019. To put it simply, weight cutting can be extremely risky, but as combat sports currently stands, athletes feel they have to do it to gain a competitive edge by allowing them to then rapidly gain weight between the weigh-in and their fight So, should weight cutting be banned? This is why some experts have called for a ban on weight cutting. However, not everyone agrees, especially athletes. Many believe that it is possible to cut weight safely by following a strict, longer-term regime to do so. “(The safety) depends on the approach of the fighter,” an unnamed UFC fighter told The Athletic in 2020. “It really depends on what system the fighter is using and how knowledgeable the people around him are. I see some people the day before weigh-in day with four or five kilos to cut in one day. That’s going to be a problem. I cut progressively toward the fight day,” they said. Indeed there seems to be some medical consensus that progressive weight-cutting leading up to the competition, say over a week rather than in a day, can be done safely. That said, critics argue that there is simply no scientific evidence to show that weight cutting can be done safely, and so-called “safe strategies” too may have an impact on an athlete’s health years down the line. “Despite the wide range of potential physical and psychological health risks associated with weight-cutting, there is alarmingly little research on such topics,” Barley et al wrote. How would such a ban work? Following Yang’s death, ONE Championship instituted a weight cutting ban to ensure athletes’ safety which can act as a model for other sports and federations to follow. ONE Championship’s strategy to prevent their fighter’s from cutting weight includes multiple weigh-ins in the lead up to a fight (over a week) and urine tests to check for the level of dehydration. President Rich Franklin told MMAmania.com in 2017, “We’ve developed a system of how we want our athletes to weigh in. The only way we can ensure they’ll actually compete at the weight they walk around at, is by hydration testing”. Crucially, the MMA promotion allows athletes some flexibility for being overweight. “We will not allow our athletes to compete dehydrated… But if they happen to be overweight, if they’re hydrated but maybe a half a pound over or something like that, we can negotiate a catchweight. We have parameters for that. They have to be at least 105 percent of their opponent’s weight,” he said. Other promotions, sports have not gone to these lengths but nonetheless made some moves to discourage weight cutting. In fact, the reason why Olympic wrestlers now have to weigh in on two different days is to dissuade themselves from drastically cutting weight before the competition, and then drastically gaining weight during it.
